The NFL is giving another chance to Adam "Pacman" Jones, who is expected to return to the field on Dec. 7, according to the Dallas Cowboys. However, a league spokesman would not confirm Jones' reinstatement to USA TODAY.

Halfway through the season, it's safe to say the Super Bowl champion New York Giants are the team to beat in the NFC, and the injury ravaged Dallas Cowboys - the preseason favorite - will need to make a run after their bye just to make the postseason.

In his first game as an NFL head coach, Mike Singletary did what other coaches long to do but usually don't. Singletary sent a "me-first" underachiever to the locker room while the game was still going on.

Jerry Jones had a business appointment in New York on Monday, which was probably best for both his injured quarterback and his befuddled head coach. Had he not been otherwise occupied, the Dallas Cowboys' owner might have been tempted to go out and find replacements for both.

With Matt Forte leading all rookie running backs with 459 rushing yards and proving a reliable target in the passing game, and young quarterback Kyle Orton making strides, the Chicago Bears' improvement on offense has been dramatic. The Bears rank 13th in the NFL for yards after fielding the 27th-ranked unit last year. Sunday comes a big litmus test.

The Detroit Lions caught a break thanks to Tony Romo's broken pinkie. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones panicked when the team learned that it lost its starting quarterback for up to a month. A Super Bowl season is unraveling before Jones' surgically tucked eyes. He desperately needed another star to divert attention from a dinged quarterback, a head coach who's in over his head and another Pacman Jones suspension for disorderly conduct off the field.